Chapter 3

I watched, utterly satisfied, as her face turned scarlet with fury. Slowly and deliberately, I spoke:

"Vivian, what's with the sudden call?"

Her eyes were practically bulging out of her head.

Today, she had scheduled a session with an off-campus tutor to demonstrate her problem-solving skills.

For this, she'd even sent me the agreed-upon problems the day before, instructing me to solve them at a specific time today.

She copied the first few problems, feeling smug about her precious system.

But halfway through, she saw me using the scrap paper – *her* scrap paper – to wipe my dog’s rear.

Nothing left to copy.

The tutors, seeing her unable to continue, assumed she was messing with them and immediately revoked her eligibility for the National Math Olympiad.

I met her eyes, which were filled with a desire to devour me.

I warned her.

"Playing dirty will only backfire on you! This is the first time, and it will be the last. Next time... I'll make sure you don't get off easy."

She looked at me with a complex expression.

Then, she suddenly rubbed her eyes, feigning a yawn:

"Oh, what's going on? Luna, darling, why are we on the phone?"

"My sleepwalking must have kicked in again, how terribly annoying~ Don't be mad at me, okay~"

She hung up immediately after saying that, then sent me a message.

[Good night, Luna! Let's walk to school together tomorrow~]

Still treating me like the naïve fool from my past life? Last time, she used her "sleepwalking" excuse to steal thirty limited-edition designer bags.

Looking at her pathetic excuse, I blocked and deleted her number.

The next day, as I opened my front door, I saw Vivian and Brandon standing there.

Brandon still had a smudge of lipstick near his mouth. Looks like they’d just finished a "session."

Vivian sidled up to me, oozing flattery.

"Luna, why did you change your house code? I kept trying, but couldn't get in."

"Trespassing? Looking for a jail cell?"

I walked straight past them.

Vivian didn't seem annoyed. Instead, she solicitously held out a bag full of breakfast items, asking what I wanted.

Oh, right. The money they spent? It all came from *my* linked payment account.

In my past life, Brandon publicly acted like he disdained using my account, but secretly spent hundreds of thousands.

Vivian, even worse, would flaunt spending my money in public, then privately call me an animal.

Brandon frowned.

"Vivian's talking to you. Are you deaf?"

"I'm spending my own money, and I'm supposed to applaud you for it?"

I looked at Vivian.

"Since you're being so thoughtful, leave all the breakfast for me."

Vivian's eyes instantly reddened, and she bit her lip.

"Luna, I'm sorry. I know I'm spending your money, but today… I haven't eaten breakfast either."

Brandon stepped in front of Vivian, shielding her.

"Luna Sterling! Don't be so arrogant! Vivian was kind enough to buy you breakfast, and this is how you treat her?"

I stepped closer to Vivian.

"Didn't you offer it to me?"

"You insisted on giving it, and I kindly accepted. Now I'm the ungrateful one?"

My finger tapped her shoulder, one by one.

"If you don't want to give, don't pretend. You dare to offer, I dare to take. After all, it's all my money, isn't it?"

I turned to look at the man I once adored.

In my previous life, I never tired of looking at him. But now, he looked hideous, like a disgusting, slimy swamp creature.

The next second, Vivian covered her face and ran off, crying.

Brandon, when I wasn't looking, viciously slapped me across the face.

"This is all your fault! You better write out a detailed exam study plan by tonight! Or I won't let you get away with this!"

Brandon glared at me, then turned to chase Vivian.

I immediately lifted my foot and delivered a solid kick to his backside.

He sprawled on the ground, his face twisted in rage, eyes almost popping out.

He looked ready to unleash a torrent of curses, but then he suddenly looked at me with pity, as if he understood something.

"I know you like me a lot, but you can't hurt Vivian just because you're jealous, can you?"

"Go on, apologize to Vivian, and give her your newly written exam problem-solving notes. She'll probably forgive you."

I walked over to him, grabbing a handful of his hair.

"Oh, I will. Just you wait. I'll make sure you're both 'satisfied.'"